Keep Your Golf Game in Top Form with These Golf Fitness Tips

With the US Open just around the corner, many golfers are thinking about tweaking their game.  Players taking to the green in June know how to hit a ball.  But a great deal of golf success involves golf fitness and avoiding golf injuries – after all, you can’t take home that million dollar purse if you’re not in top form.

While many of us don’t play at the same level as those competing in tournaments, it doesn’t mean we should settle for not being in good shape and prepared for a day on the course. Keeping that in mind, here are some important golf fitness tips to keep your body limber and your swing tight!

Golf fitness tip #1 – Notwithstanding the reiteration of what was hammered into our heads in elementary school (to stretch before partaking in any sport), remember that stretching before the game is crucial if you want to be on the top of your game while avoiding golf injuries. Exercises that will increase your power, mechanics and flexibility will help target every aspect of your golf game, allowing your body to warm up and stay sharp throughout the day.

Golf fitness tip #2 – Remember that just pre-game stretching is probably not going to cut it. Any smart golf fitness routine should involve some type of activity in the interim. If you only golf on Sunday afternoon, make sure that you are working out during the week.  Too much downtime can cause golf injuries that are solely due to excessive inactivity between games. If you golf several times a week, chances are your game may be a little more competitive, so what better way to increase your power and stamina than by exercising your whole body on a regular basis.

Golf fitness tip #3 – Attend a golf injury prevention program. No matter what your level of skill, from beginner to professional, keeping golf injuries at bay is essential.  One of the best ways to do this is by taking advantage of the knowledge and expertise of a sports medicine specialist, trained in treating injuries that can keep the clubs in your golf bag and you grounded in the clubhouse. Remember, it can be difficult to avoid injuries if you don’t know what causes them, so a golf injury prevention program can also help you improve you game by working through proper grip and swinging techniques.

Keep your body in top form throughout the entire golf season and keep the clubs in your hand instead of the bag. Golf fitness is very important, not only to avoid golf injuries but also for a strong, consistent game.

For more information about golf fitness or how to avoid golf injuries, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416-800-0800 or visit www.aesm.ca.

 

Let a Toronto Fitness Trainer in a Sports Therapy Clinic Setting Help You Get in Shape for Summer

The days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer, so many are eyeing getting in shape for the summer. Getting in shape can be difficult, if not seemingly impossible for some, but with the right support and motivation it can be far easier than you think. Let a Toronto fitness trainer (someone who specializes in fitness training) show you the best – and healthiest - ways to get in shape for summer.

One of the first things you need to do before donning those spandex shorts and heading off to a session with a trainer is to have a fitness test. If you're serious about getting in shape, and maximizing your relationship with a fitness trainer, you need to document your starting point in order to chart your course for progress. After all, you wouldn’t commit to buying a car before a test drive, so why commit to a workout routine unless you know it will be what’s best for your body? A fitness test at a sports medicine clinic uses various methods to test your physical fitness levels, to better gauge what type of fitness routine will prompt the greatest results for your body.

After your fitness test, your Toronto fitness trainer will use the results from your fitness test to consult with you and design a customized plan that sets realistic goals for reaching your full potential. Your personalized plan will include an exercise regimen that not only meets your needs realistically, but keeps the program at a comfortable pace you can follow. Depending on your own personal goals and preferences, this may include workouts at the gym or in your own home.

Worried about getting that initial plan in place only to fall behind shortly after implementing the routine? Don’t be. Just make sure that you find a sports medicine clinic that not only offers the initial fitness test and training session, but can also provide ongoing support from your certified fitness trainer. This way staying motivated won’t be a problem!

Want to start eating healthy at the same time? Find a sports injury clinic that offers nutritional counselling along with the fitness test and certified fitness trainer. Working with a registered dietician who can help you develop a smart, healthy, realistic meal plan is a great way to ramp up any fitness training plan.
 

Beat the heat as we head into the summer season by getting in shape now. Let a certified Toronto fitness trainer set you on the path to a healthy lifestyle.

For more information about scheduling a fitness test with a Toronto fitness trainer, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416-800-0800 or visit www.aesm.ca.

 

Prepare for The Cardiac Health Foundation’s Walk of Life with Custom Made Orthotics

On Sunday May 26^th, The Cardiac Health Foundation of Canada will hold its annual Walk of Life at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. The Walk of Life features a 3km and 5km walk, a 5km run, and a 1km family stroll. There are great prizes for runners with top time, a healthy breakfast before the event and a t-shirt for all participants. With summer just around the corner, this event promises to be a great one.  Celebrate the launch of the season by getting out there with some friends in support of The Cardiac Health Foundation.

As you prepare for this event, as well as for your own summer running season, it's best to ensure your body is in top form before stepping out onto the track. Those of us who enjoy running on a regular basis know though that pain can keep us from enjoying what we love. If you are a runner who faces the all too common foot pain that can accompany the sport, it's time to take charge and get your life back!

So how can you get rid of the foot pain (or knee, back and hip pain) that often accompanies running? A sports injury clinic that specializes in all types of sporting injuries has the answer. Instead of suffering with pain, sitting out when you want to be up and at 'em, combat those foot woes with custom made orthotics.

Ok, you might be wondering why you shouldn’t just go out and buy a generic pair of foot orthotics. Aren’t they the same? Are custom made orthotics really that much better? Think about it this way: a one-size-fits-all running shoe doesn’t exist for a reason. Running shoe types vary considerably in order to meet the needs and goals of each runner. So why then, would you want a one-size-fits-all orthotic? Hmmm, well, you probably wouldn’t.

So how do custom made orthotics created by a sports injury clinic differ? It all starts with a consultation to assess your pain and complete a computerized gait analysis. This helps establish what kind of custom made orthotics you need. Rather than a standard pair of orthotics, custom made orthotics target specific, individual pain, and correct it.

Just as with any sport, having the right equipment helps put you at the top of your game. Custom made orthotics are essential equipment for many runners, so it's important to visit a sports injury clinic to have your pain assessed and see if these are right for you. What better way to deal with a sports injury than to have it treated by an expert who specializes in sports related injuries?

For more information about custom made orthotics, or to schedule your gait analysis, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416-800-0800 or visit www.aesm.ca.

 

Keep That Spring in Your Step: How to Avoid Common Running Injuries

Anyone who runs on a regular basis, whether to keep fit or relieve stress, knows that staying injury free is crucial in order to continue your routine.  Most runners are aware of the risks that can accompany running, but with running season in full swing it's a great time to remind you of some of the causes of the most common running injuries. Knowledge is power and knowing the causes of common running injuries will help you to avoid them.

Top 5 common running injuries:

1.      Runner’s knee - a very common running injury, usually attributed to overuse. Over time, with regular activity, the cartilage in the kneecap begins to wear down, causing considerable pain.

2.      Plantar fasciitis - an inflammation of the tissues in the bottom of the foot that connect the heel with the toes. There are a number of different causes, but increased activity or strain on the foot muscles are very common causes for runners.

3.      Shin splints - pain in the front inside of the shin bone. These are often the result of a change in your running routine where you've denied your body the proper prep. Even subtle changes like increasing the distance of your run or the number of days that you run can lead to shin splints.

4.      Achilles tendinitis - inflammation of the Achilles tendon. Symptoms include pain and stiffness, and the development of the condition is often a result of repetitive stress on the tendon due to changes in your routine.

5.      Ankle sprains - caused by the stretching or tearing of the muscles around the ankle. Injuries, such as twisting or falling on the ankle, can cause these sprains.

How can you avoid these, and other common running injuries? One of the best ways to avoid an injury, especially a sports related one, is to educate yourself. What better way to do this than by attending a running injury clinic? A running injury clinic hosted by a sports medicine clinic can give you the right tools to help you plan your running routine.  One of the greatest assets to a session like this involves helping you understand how to better avoid common running injuries.

Running injury clinic tips:

-         Plan: don’t just head out there every day and run a different track and expect your body to react well. Make sure that you set a plan for yourself where changes in routine are given appropriate periods of time to adjust. Planning a session with a trainer for an assessment is also a smart idea.

-         Equip:  those decade old running shoes are probably not going to offer the support you need to keep common running injuries at bay, so attend a running clinic to learn what types of footwear will best suit your individual needs.

-         Stretch: prepping your body before any run is critical to getting it primed. A running injury clinic can help you discover the pre and post-run stretches that will help you avoid the pain of a running injury.

-         Listen: never ignore your body. If it is in pain, don’t ignore it – chances are pain isn’t going to just go away, and could get worse. There are many different treatment options available to treat running injuries, so attend a sports injury clinic to have running injuries looked at right away.

For more information about how to avoid common running injuries or to find out more about our running injury clinic, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416-800-0800 or visit www.aesm.ca.